With hope in my heart I gladly pray,that with hard work we will reach that day.

— Brianna Bustamante, seventh grade

CLAUDE A. TAYLOR ELEMENTARY

Friends

Friends are here

Friends are always near

Friends share friendship

The more we grow,

the better our friendship grows

Friends can come from everywhere.

— Ada Stiglbauer, grade not given

CONGAREE ELEMENTARY

The Ocean

The birds soaring

through the sky on a

cooled off morning.

Then comes

the surfers.

Surfing through

the waves

that go

like a hurricane

and it is

blazing hot.

It cools

down and

the

sun is

setting for

the night

to come

and the day

to end.

Everybody

goes to sleep

and everything

is quiet,

not even a

bird in sight.

So the ocean

has gone

to sleep.

— Ericka Prasavath, fourth grade

Pandas

Panda are black and white

Panda are big and medium.

Panda have short hair.

Panda live in China.

Panda are mostly black

Panda have less white

Panda eat bamboo

Panda are cute, too.

— Alicia Whitehead, fourth grade

Friends

Friends are like

sisters or brothers

you never have.

They help you clean up

your room before they

have to go.

Friends are right there

by your side if there

is a bad strorm.

They never lie to you.

If you ever have a nightmare,

friends are here to stay.

Friends are there for you

if you are sick.

They are there for a

play date.

They always tell you

you’re my best friend.

They truly mean

what they say.

They never leave

you standing alone.

Friends tell you if

they have a crush.

Friends are like

sisters or brothers

you never have.

— Kaylee Ross, fourth grade

Untitled

Clemson is

a South Carolina

football team,

and my favorite team.

Sometimes they wear

orange uniforms,

and sometimes not.

My daddy likes

Clemson, and

I do, too.

I like it when

the people say

touchdown,

interception,

field goal, tackle

and hearing them

say, Clemson

won the football

game.

Other teams are OK,

but not,

I repeat not,

better than Clemson

TIGERS!

— Katlyn Jordan, fourth grade

Elephants

Elephants are big

Elephants are huge,

Elephants are gray

How about you?

Elephants have small hair,

I have long hair.

Elephants are strong and have strong tusks.

— Hannah Mercer, fourth grade

Untitled

Mat hit the cat and never came back.

Mat hit the cat with his real mean hat. Mat lost his hat and had a fat lost car.

Mat was real mean.

— Jessica Hicks, fourth grade

Dads are the best!

Dads are the best

Dads are so fun they even

run in the sun.

Dads are so nice

they even buy me ice cream.

— Jessica Hicks, fourth grade

Friends!

Friends are people

Who care for you,

Friends are people

Who are by your side.

Friends should like you

the way you are,

Friends should share

share with you,

Friends do not lie to

get you in trouble,

Friends should always tell

you the truth,

Friends are never supposed

to pick on you,

Friends should always

be a good sport.

Friends should still

like you if the people

they do not,

Friends do not just like

you for the way you look,

Friends are supposed to

be a good citizen.

— Cierra Bryant, fourth grade

Elephants

Here is my

Elephant Max

He grows up

Too, too fast

He likes to kiss

you on the

cheek, cheek.

The whole night

he goes play, play

play I say no

no no

So in the morning

he goes to me

shh, shh shh

Also in the afternoon,

watch out he will

scare you and you

will be flying

near a BOO!

— Megan Temple, fourth grade

FRANCES MACK PRIMARY

Kaitlyn

Special, nice

Helpful, shares, caring

She cares about me

Kid

—Samantha Hadley, second grade

Club

Fun, hunting

Sleep, eat, play

Spring Branch Hunting Club

Club

— Sierra Mitchum, second grade

Hunter

Boy, eight

Playful, friendly, running

He is my friend

Boy

— Sierra Mitchum, second grade

Samantha

Special, nice

Helpful, shares, carring

She cares about me

Kid

— Kaitlyn Smith, second grade

Isis

Nice, silly

Gross, loving, cute

She licks her butt

Chihuahua

— Samantha Hadley, second grade

Father

Nice, good

Read, write, math

He is the best

Dad

— Stacey Jeffcoat, second grade

Fish

Gills, whiskers

Blowing, swimming, chasing

Fish like to swim

Catfish

— Kaylee, last name not given, second grade

Fish

Water Animal

Swim, eat, sleep

Fish live in water

Fish

— Kaylee, last name not given, second grade

Me

Awesome, fun

Play, work, run

I am cool

You

— Alex Rogders, second grade

Puppies

Sleep, cute

Bite, playful, run

They like to run

Mutt

— Bailey Harley, second grade

Freeze-Tag

Awesome, fun

Run, avoid, freeze

I love freeze

Game

— Kiley Redmond, second grade

Baseball

Special, cool

Ball, small, neat

It is awesome

Baseball is so fun

Fun

— Kiley Redmond, second grade

Nana

Fifty-five, nice

Clean, fun, silly

My Nana likes cleaning

Lady

— Seth Baker, second grade

Untitled

My dog is mean and evil.

She likes to jump up and down.

She always bites me on the legs.

She is special.

She always goes under the porch.

She is a Bulldog

— Hunter Hall, second grade

Trucks

Motor, transmission

Fast, pipes, tailgate, rims

Spinning wheels

— Cameron Clemmons, second grade

Spring Senses

Spring looks like people eating gooey, delicious hot fudge ice cream.

Spring smells like liquidy, good bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches.

Spring feels like climbing a huge tree with a hole in it.

Spring tastes like fruit punch Gatorade.

Spring sounds like a fast 4-wheeler zooming through the back yard.

— Will Dougherty, first grade

Spring Senses

Spring looks like sunny fields of green grass.

Spring smells like red, bloomed roses.

Spring feels like the hot sun beaming down on me.

Spring tastes like a fudge pop.

Spring sounds like my sprinkler watering the grass.

— Tatum Leaphart, first grade

Spring Senses

Spring looks like boys are playing tag outside.

Spring smells like blue roses blowing.

Spring feels like whistling wind on your face.

Spring tastes like orange Hi-C in the box.

Spring sounds like coyotes are growling at you.

— Austin Baker, first grade

Spring Senses

Spring looks like fabulous kids jumping on the trampoline.

Spring smells like fantastic, sweet flowers.

Spring feels like wind through my hair.

Spring tastes like warm, soft pancakes.

Spring sounds like cleats kicking the soccer ball.

— Tatum Cox, first grade

Trees

Hard, rough

Chopping, climbing, breaking

Like to climb trees.

Leave.

— William Bryant, second grade

Chucky Cheese

Loud kids

Playing, eating, talking

The rides are cool.

Pizza

— Efren, no last name given, second grade

Ice cream

Sweet, cold

Munching, licking, cracking

Strawberry tastes so good

Tasty

— Cameron, no last name given, second grade

Kittens

Cute, speedy

Playing, chasing, licking

They are very playful

Cats.

— Shediah, no last name given, second grade

Chocolate

Brown, white

Eating, biting, chewing

It is very sweet

Terrific

— Jazzy, no last name given, second grade

Baseball

Fun, painful

Running, throwing, catching

Makes me too tired

Fun

— Hunter, no last name given, second grade

Dog

Soft, mean

Biting, fetching, protecting

They are very good

Fast

— Will, no last name given, second grade

Pizza

Tasty, hot

Baking, eating, sharing

It’s good to eat.

Delicious.

— Jamie, no last name given, second grade

FULMER MIDDLE

Almost There

As I turned around

Death surrounded me

Tentatively I grabbed something

Nothing is there

With my brain dead

And heart still

Soul dragging by

Air gone within itself

Fear does not apply anymore

Just... nothing

Empty is no more

Stuck in oblivion

Why here?

Why now?

Breath is limited

Confined space

Air is tight

Air is nowhere

Death is near

Feel as it passes by

Know it’s in charge

Taste its wrath

Ly on your bed

Sink into its warmth

You’re weary

Close your eyes

Rest forevermore

Death awaits you

Hear its cry

Feel the pain

The soul is burning

Wanting to leave

Yet you are cursed

Nowhere to go

As the darkness binds my eyes

I see only nightmares

Treacherous beings surround me

Forcing me to stay behind

Empty is no more

Stuck in oblivion

Why me?

Why you?

And as I reach out something finds me

Yet nothing’s there

— Christopher Amick, sixth grade

The Lacing Of Autumn

The leaves on the trees in the mountains,

Are beautiful gold-laced features of art.

They wave at passer-bys, who stop to take a gaze.

A gaze of gold-laced features of art.

Some capture them in still frames,

Others just memorize the image.

An image of gold-laced features of art.

Some of the leaves don’t change but they remain,

Amazing green features of art.

To utilize the time when the art is so grand,

You need to see them at the peak of the season.

Here, the leaves remain,

Green and gold-laced features of art.

As the season comes to an end,

The gold lacing falls away to leave behind,

Trees now laced with thin twigs.

However, some can still be made into stunning still frames,

As evergreens of the winter season.

The needles of pines in the mountains,

Are beautiful white-laced features of art.

— Austin Phillips, eighth grade

Who to Send Away

Who to love

Who to love

Who to give up

Who to give up

Who to cry for

Who to cry for

Who to send away...

It’s just so hard

So hard to decide

Don’t want to leave

Don’t want to leave neither

But I can’t have

I can’t have both

I don’t know

Don’t know who to send away

Each is so special

So special in their own

Their own spectacular way

You make me

Make me feel like you’re so perfect

So perfect sometimes

But still, almost

Almost like your somewhat

Somewhat only temporarily mine

Like we’ll never be

Never be together

Together forever

And you

You make me

Make me feel like you're

You’re so flawless

So flawless sometimes

But at the same time

At the same time like your mine

Your mine forever

Forever and eternally mine

So

Who to love

Who to love

Who to give up

Who to give up

Who to cry for

Who to cry for

Who to pick

Who to pick

Who to send away.

— Kaytie Grubbs, sixth grade

Am I Truly?

My head is in the clouds

My heart is soaring in the wind

It has rain,

Snow,

Pain

All coming to

and

From it all in the same matter of time

Right along with the tears

that are running down my cheeks

singing your song

that reminds me of you

bitter sweet

— Kaytie Grubbs, sixth grade

Nothing

It's emotional to have someone you love

just stand up and fly away

They can't take anything with them

but their love

But their soul falls down

lands in your heart

Trying so hard to tell you

Something

you just know it

But it's nothing

Just the wind blowing

on your face

Nothing

— Kaytie Grubbs, sixth grade

Lost in Hope

As the lights went out around me

I knew that the world had

stopped

I was in a place that could never

be found

I was in a time that

could never be written

There and right on top of

everything

I was on top of

nothing

— Kaytie Grubbs, sixth grade

Take Me To...

Hills rolling up and down

Up and down

Leaves dancing upon the breeze

I’m going to a place

A place far, far away

Where nobody knows my name

Or what I have to say

Somewhere

Where I can be different

Never to be the same

To see the beautiful mountains

The alone and the lost planes

Take me to that place

So very far away

Where I can

Just sit and glance

Into this bright and sunny day

— Kaytie Grubbs, sixth grade

Love Is

Love never fails

Can conquer all

Love never lets you down

Its always there

Love never fails

Love is a poison

It seeps slowly through your veins

Loves the perfect drug

Gets you higher than anything

You’ll never want to come down once you’ve had a taste

Love is poison

Love is beautiful

Its radiates like a shining star

Love can light you way

Through the darkest place

Love is beautiful

Love is fearless

It takes you to extremes

Love make you do things

You never thought you would.

Love is fearless

Love is amazing.

— Lauren Lollar, eighth grade

Untitled

As sure as day will turn into night

I will stand beside you

If you get lost on your way

My loving hand will guide you

All through this world

I will be behind you.

I will remain forever yours

As the moon fallows the sun

I will be your guide

Following just enough behind

So that you may shine

Trough life’s dangers, struggles and more

I will remain forever yours

If they curse you

They curse me

If the accept you

They accept me

I will stay, never go astray I will be forever yours

— Lauren Lollar, eighth grade

GEORGE I. PAIR ELEMENTARY

My Dad

My dad is strong,

And never wrong.

He is also helpful.

He is kind,

And has lots of mind.

He also helps my mom.

He is loving, caring

And very polite.

He’s my dad.

— Isabelle Waters, second grade

GILBERT ELEMENTARY

The Decker's Deck

Michelle, my mom, protects my family.

She gets everything as clean as a whistle.

She is the best cleaner ever.

Jason, my dad, is the best dad ever.

He works like a professional mechanic.

He gets everything done.

Kyle, my brother, is the best in the family.

He's smart like a smart, smart eagle.

He is best at helping everyone.

Cole, my brother, is really nice.

He is fast like a rocket blasting off to the moon.

Zoom, zoom, zoom.

Ginger, my dog, barks like a watchdog.

She's the best dog in the world,

as good as you can get.

There's no other dog like her.

— Brooke Alexis Decker, third grade

Horses, Horses, Horses

Tall horses.

Short horses.

Galloping, trotting, walking horses.

Loud, smart, soft horses.

Those are just a few!

Big horses.

Small horses.

Saddlebred, Pnto, Clydesdale horses.

Neighing, proud, good horses.

Fast horses too!

Pretty horses.

Brown horses.

Don't forget the furry horses.

Last of all, best of all

I like Arabian horses.

— Emily Enlow, third grade

The Elkins & Still Family

My brother Johnathan, is seven.

He is like a famous football player.

He can kick and throw a football really well.

My youngest brother's name is David.

He is crazy as a mad person.

He likes to beat me up.

My mom is like a famous chef when she cooks.

She is as sweet as an angel from the sky.

She loves to help me.

My dad, James, is great at math.

He is like a famous mathematician.

He says he has a calculator in his brain.

My dog Tiny acts like he's my best friend.

He's as special as family.

He's as tiny as a pencil sticking up.

— Alexis Elkins, third grade

Haiku poems

She's very jumpy,

As she nibbles on lettuce.

So small, white and cute.

— Kelly Flanagan, third grade

Untitled

Swaying in the sun,

Waving at people passing,

Very large, brown limbs.

— Joseph Mims, third grade

Untitled

Howling at the moon,

A strong and brave coyote,

Speaking to brothers.

— Daisy Derrenbacher, third grade

GILBERT HIGH

Unmarked Dawn

Yesterday, I stood erect in the line up of vulnerability

Staring down each stunned face in the crowd

Yesterday, I took a pace into my hesitation

Today, I profess my emotions and inner self to you

Will you take me by the hand, and lead the way for us?

Today, I leave without regretting anything

Knowing that the things we’re yearning for is yet to come

Tomorrow, I will turn away from ill-eyed glances and ridicules

And face the rising sun

Tomorrow, I’ll live with the power of the wind

Unstoppable and overwhelming

With silent and uncultivated beauty

— Cyndal Bruner, ninth grade

LAKE MURRAY ELEMENTARY

Good Old Days

Sometimes I remember

the good old days.

Playing in the woods

with my friends.

Clmbing different trees

With the smell of sap on our hands.

The sound of leaves crunching

and the woosh of the wind.

Making different forts here and there

With the bark of a tree.

Finding sticks like the search for a bird

and cutting down paths

with a crunch.

I still can't imagine

anything better than that.

— Brian Lee, fifth grade

LEXINGTON INTERMEDIATE

Nature Realms

The trees, the leaves, in the ever fluttering breeze

The grass, so green, gets brighter in the spring

The flowers have powers, with beautiful scents, like mint

The bush goes “swoosh”, in the air, which goes “whoosh”

The ugly, hated weeds come from seeds smaller than beads

The bugs, and slugs, do not get many hugs

The fern, can burn, in a simple turn of time

The vines, they dine, on many a pine

Nature here, nature there, nature is everywhere!

— Ashbelle Henry, sixth grade

Searching My Mind

The sun hits

My closed eyes

And brings a soft

Warmness to their surface

Bright lights

Reflecting and dancing

On a background of

Utter darkness

While my mind

Begins to wander

And search

For something so much more

It travels to

Places only I am

Able to see

Or hear or touch

My own little world

Where I can

Wander and explore

— Caroline Brittingham, eighth grade

Letting Go

Your grip is tight

Your teeth are bared

You're as dark as night

You can't see to do it

Your muscles are too tight

Your hands just won't split

You slow your breathing

You shut your weary eyes

Chest, please stop heaving

Just let go

Let your hands loosen

See it fall like a flowing ribbon

Color bleeds into your face

Your eyes glitter with ominous grace

Finally it has no place

— Caroline Brittingham, eighth grade

Ingredients

The chirping of crickets

The soft rustling of palm branches

The faint roar of the beckoning ocean

The darkened midnight sky

The swaying of the roped hammock

The buzz of the obnoxious gnat

The occasional croak of a frog

The salted air compressing all around

I breath it all in

And so much more

Because I feel tomorrow

It shall be no more

Memorizing it's every ingredient

Hoping to someday whip

Is all back together again

Wishing I could freeze time

Right where it is

— Caroline Brittingham, eighth grade

MIDWAY ELEMENTARY

Haiku

From high high branches,

The quiet dewdrops fall down,

Hardly making noise.

— Hannah Cambre, third grade

Haiku

Mallards in the pond,

Eat algae from the bottom,

Ducklings in the pond.

— Hannah Cambre, third grade

Flowers Blooming

Flowers blooming,

flowers blooming,

purple, green, and blue.

Flowers blooming,

flowers blooming,

bees are buzzing too.

Flowers blooming,

flowers blooming,

ever so brightly in the springtime.

Flowers blooming,

flowers blooming,

hear children’s laughter chime.

Flowers blooming,

flowers blooming,

here and there and everywhere.

Flowers blooming,

flowers blooming,

I’m so glad that spring is here!

— Margaret Kate Henry, second grade

Safe

Crack! There goes the bat,

It connects with the ball,

Which is headed to the outfield wall.

I make it to first,

But oh no! Here comes the throw.

I hit the dirt and slide just below,

My teammates surround me at second,

With that hit I scored my best friend,

Who got home safely to get the win!

— Lane Henry, fourth grade

Mermaid Playground

The sun on the beach,

the sand under your feet,

the waves crashing sounds just like a song or tune.

The crabs dig little holes in the sand dunes.

Sea turtles sunbathe and dolphins dive while seagulls fly and swoop.

Sand castles rule the beach and shells are like treasures (that's why the pirates come).

Play in the sand or swim in the ocean blue.

You can find washed up sharks teeth, too.

The beach is fun!

There certainly is a lot to do.

So, if you go remember this poem I wrote for you....

Have fun.

— Olivia Plyler, fourth grade

Untitled

Flowers bloom in spring,

Bees buzz in summer,

In fall leaves turn different colors,

In winter snow falls, what a bummer!

In spring it brings spring showers,

In summer it's time for swimming,

In fall we dedicate our lives to the turkey,

In winter we go sledding!

In spring it's Easter,

In summer Father's Day,

In fall it's Thanksgiving,

In winter it is Christmas (what a holiday)!

In spring we have spring break,

In summer we have summer break,

In fall we have Thanksgiving break,

And in winter we have Christmas break!

We have a lot of breaks!

— Katie Holmes, fourth grade

The Germ

It was blue,

With sticky goo,

I wonder where it goes,

Once it comes out of my nose!

— Elizabeth Clapp, third grade

Dogs

Fluffy and cute

But it is not mute

Big or small

Short or tall

White, black, or gray

It can jump in a bay

During the day

Anyway

— Kristina Wuchenich, fourth grade

Cats, Cats, Cats

Lovely cats,

Elegant cats,

Cute, vile, secretive cats,

Fluffy, cozy, coarse haired cats,

Those are just a few.

Furry cats,

Silky cats,

Smooth, selfish, fair cats,

Dandy, suffering, blind cats,

Mulish cats too!

Comforting cats,

Wake the dead cats,

Don't forget multi-colored cats.

Last of all, best of all,

I like all cats!

— Lucy Herpst, third grade

Eagle Haiku

Black or brown swift eagle,

Swoops, hovers, and catches fish,

Perches on a branch.

— Lucy Herpst, third grade

NEW PROVIDENCE ELEMENTARY

Making sense of your Senses Outside

Swinging, swinging forward and back

Hear the birds sing a pretty song

See the clouds all puffy and white,

The sun shining bright

Sliding down, down the slide.

See the dog playing with a bone

Feel the grainy sand in my hand

Hear the squirrels move in the leaves

See a frog hopping by

Feel the prickly pine cone

Find a turtle slowing walking

Hear a bee buzz on by

Smell a hamburger on the grill

Eating, eating--munch, munch

taste so good for lunch

Smell a flower on the hill

At night the stars shine bright

and say good-night.

— Erin Gobbi , fourth grade

The Price Family

My mom is nice

She is as sweet as a valentine

My mom is helpful.

My dad is awesome!

He is also watchful.

My dad is as watchful as a hawk.

My brother is very responsible.

My brother is fun, too!

My brother is as fun as a video game.

My sister likes horseback riding.

She is very mature about when to go.

My sister is as mature as an adult.

I am hyper as lots of monkeys.

I have an older sister and brother.

I love my family!

— Will Price, third grade

NORTHSIDE MIDDLE

Our Fishing Pond

There is a pond

Where we go to fish,

And during the school year

Oh, how we wish

That we could just

Take a few days off,

Get in our boat

And then shove off.

It’s in Allendale,

Away from civilization

And going there

Is a constant temptation.

Sometimes we catch bream,

Sometimes we catch bass,

There are alligators

We often pass.

We don’t really care

If we catch anything,

It’s really just more of

A family time thing.

Late in the day

When the sun turns red,

We retire at last

To our motel beds.

Early next morning,

While the sun is still low

We get back in the boat

And we’re ready to go.

We’re always sad

When we have to go home‘cause we like to see green

Not concrete and chrome.

But we remember one thing

And it keeps us from cryin’

And that is that soon

Those fish will be fryin’!

— Will Sox, seventh grade, written in 2007

On 9-11

They tried to make us weaker

They tried to bring us down

But we only got stronger

When those towers came down

They caused us much grief

They caused us much dismay

But we still gained a newfound strength

On that fateful day

What were they trying to accomplish

What was running through their head

Did they think that they’d be heroes

Cause they made so many dead?

Well, it doesn’t really matter

Because it wasn’t true

The real heroes on that day

Were me and all of you

And though they can make us suffer

Although they can cause us pain

There’s just one thing that they can’t change

And that’s that freedom reigns

— Will Sox, seventh grade

Tear Drop Falling

I am a tear drop falling

I wonder how she died and when

I hear my mother and father crying

I see everyone is sad with their head down

I want her back

I am a tear drop falling

I pretend that she is still asleep

I feel sad and lonely without her

I touch her old scarf and memories come back

I worry when my parents start to cry again

I cry when I think of how she died

I am a tear drop falling

I understand why it was her time to go

I say to myself why did she have to leave so soon

I try to remember as much as I can

I hope she is ok in heaven

I am a tear drop falling

— Allyson Wilmoth, seventh grade

PELION ELEMENTARY

A Bird's Flight

Oh what a sight

To see a birds flight

Oh how they sing

And the flutter of their wings

It is unique how they make a V

It is definitely a sight to see

Imagine if we could fly in the sky

We'd say to the ground good bye

We'd go with the flow

And when we get to fast we'd say whoa

We'd fly by the trees

And we'd say wee

We'd have a good time

In the bright sun shine

But if we could fly like birds

Where was I when the world went absurd.

— Cassie Outlaw, fourth grade

Funny Little Bunny

There's a bunny

and he's very funny

his tail is kind of furry

he's never in a hurry

like the bunny in

Alice in Wonderland,

on his two hind legs

he likes to stand.

Then he wiggles his nose

while he smells a rose

he's very funny

that little bunny.

— Chloe Outlaw, sixth grade

PINEVIEW ELEMENTARY

Sad to Happy

When you’re feeling blue

Find something to do

Like read a book labeled Katie Kazoo

And you can build with your own Legos too

But I’d probably jump rope

That’s what I’d do

And now you won’t be feeling blue

— Abigail Nicole Garrison, second grade

Poems

Sitting, thinking, fun to write

It takes some time and some insight

I write about cats

I write about dogs

I write about fish

And little green frogs

When I wrote about the cat

It sat on the mat and scratched, scratched and scratched

When I wrote about the dog

It jumped on the log and scared the frog

When I wrote about the fish

It dreamed a dream and made a wish

The little green frog jumped away

To find another perfect day.

— Ashton Doar, second grade

Spring

It is spring

I am wearing my bling

Including my ring

My dog left me

a little something

The birds laid eggs

I have a tan on my legs

My Grandfather plays

golf with pegs

My mom’s brain is filled

with my brothers begs

My brother broke his bat

My neighbor bought a cat

She is very fat

I love my new spring hat

There is a lot of precipitation

Then there is evaporation

After that is condensation

My brother’s prescription

said he had sissy-friedation

— Madison Edwards, fourth grade

Summer

Summer can sometimes

be a bummer

I wish I was a drummer

Although I am a runner

I wish I had something to do

Before I go koo koo

Oh no, I have a boo boo

What shall I do

My dog saw a hog

He was sitting on a log

Looking at a frog

Sitting in the middle of a fog

A cat sat on my mat

I hit him with a bat

He ate a rat

Then he got fat

Oh no, it’s time to go

back to school

I don’t feel cool

Because I just saw a fool

— Isabella Riddle, fourth grade

My School

Going to school

can sometimes be fun

Especially if you have

good friends

I like the early morning

Fun Runs

And dressing up

in the latest trends

The school day goes

just like this:

ELA, Specials, Social Studies, Science, then Math

Recess is something you don’t want to miss

Be good or face the teacher’s wrath!

— Elizabeth Howard, fourth grade

Pineview

This is a poem about school

I would rather be in the pool

Students, students all around

I hear them making a very loud sound

Sometimes I get in trouble

At least it’s not double

Recess and lunch are our favorite things

In music we like to sing

— Philip Anderson, fourth grade

Manicures

Manicures are pretty

Except if you are zitty

You can make them glittery

You can get them in different cities

Manicure people work as a committee

Manicures can be on people named Izzie

Manicures are in the mall

But you can’t rub them up against the wall

Because the polish will fall

To make an appointment call

The man that polishes is very tall

Manicure tools are so heavy he has to haul

— Anya Brantley, fourth grade

Danelia Montoraro

Go! Danelia Montoraro

She is my hero!

She can really play soccer!

I’ve already seen her locker!

She is at the top!

She cannot be stopped

Look at her go!

Danelia Montoraro!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Danelia Montoraro!

Wait up!

I’ve really got to keep up!

— Morgan Frierson, fourth grade

I’m Slow as Molasses

I’m slow as molasses and I don’t know what to do

I think I might also have the flu

And for some reason my sister ate my shoe

My dad is trying to play the kazoo

I’m slow as molasses in my go cart

And it took me two months to go to K-Mart

When I got their I got a shopping cart

And then it fell apart

— Jordan Friedrichs, fourth grade

Jesus

Jesus is cool

I learn about him in Sunday School

He died on the cross

Now he’s my boss

After his body had bled

He rose from the dead

I keep his word in my head

I love Jesus

— Beckham Adams, fourth grade

The Dog Life

I am a dog

I live in a bog

My friend is a tomato

He doesn’t talk much but he loves to eat potatoes

I love to sleep all night

Even though I have no mailman to bit

I love to chase my tail

I love to walk a trail

— Hunter Huggins, fourth grade

My Cat

I have a cat

It ran into a bat

Then he sat on my mat

And my hate fell on the rat

Then my cat got fat

And it broke its back

My cat went to sleep on my mat

And now my cat is a fat cat

— Jasmine Kyzer, fourth grade

Spring

Spring, spring, spring

I love spring

I have a pink ring

Including my blue earrings

My dog Jack chased a cat

My dog Jack loved that

My cat Tat has a blue hat

My dog Jack loves that

— Megan Duncan, fourth grade

RED BANK ELEMENTARY

Spring

Spring, Spring, beautiful Spring

The sun is shining, oh so beautiful Spring.

The flowers are blooming,

The bluebells are ringing,

How I love Spring.

Oh, beautiful Spring.

The dew drops in the morning,

The cold wind at night,

Listen to Spring's song so joyful and bright.

Spring's so beautiful— the songs, the dew,

the shining sun of Spring.

Spring's like a dream, a beautiful dream

With kids picking flowers for hours,

shaking bluebells, and laying in the golden sun.

Spring, Spring,

Beautiful Spring.

— Morgan Scott, third grade

SANDHILLS ELEMENTARY

A Rainy Day

There are really dark clouds in the sky that means rain is coming by.

Rain is dropping from clouds there is muddy puddles now.

What are we gonna do?

There is thunder from the clouds.

The sun is coming out.

Now there is a rainbow forming in the sky.

— Carolann Leeman and Skylar Mallette , fourth grade

SWANSEA PRIMARY

Submitted by second-graders; no last names given

Lion

I have a beautiful mane.

My roar

Like thunder.

My fur is yellow.

Eating meat all day long.

I’m king

Hear my roar.

You know I have very good hearing so

Don’t get near.

ROAR!

— Garrett

Rainbows

A rainbow lights the sky with sparkling colors

Magic of the sky

Shines with the rainbow that stands

For God’s promise to never flood the Earth again

— Michael

Tigers

Always leaping

Through the sky

Gentle cubs

A life of

Wild.

You

Also feel

The soft

White fur of

A tamed tiger.

If you hear

A roar

That might be

A warning.

— Shelby

Spring

Grass is green

Birds are singing

Trees are growing

Flowers are blooming

Every day birds

Are out now

We see nature.

Trees are waving.

— Denae

Spring

Beautiful flowers

Blooming in the fields

And birds singing in the sun

People are enjoying this delightful day.

Every day is a day of nature.

— Zion

Spring

We can feel the green grass tickling us.

The wind blowing nice and quiet..

The trees shaking.

Birds singing in the spring.

Butterflies flying.

Flowers growing too.

— Ricky

Spring Time

Blooming flowers

Nature is getting pretty

The trees are getting greener

Now the time is moving back and you can play much longer

The birds are coming out

Some more because they want to feel the soft breeze

— Sarah

Submitted by second-graders; no last names given

Storms

Sometimes it storms

The thunder is loud

Only stay in the house

Rain split, splat, splashes

Millions of creatures die

Storms can be very bad

— Jaedon

Fall

Fall is my favorite season

All the leaves fall

Late in the year it comes

Like the day’s end

— Preston

Lightning

Light leads your way

In a dark cave

Glistening through the

Hot summer air

The hot summer air is

Nice, but some people in this world think

It’s not good and

Now the thunder

Growls

— Thomas

Pink

Pink tastes like strawberry icecream.

Pink smells like a sweet strawberry.

Pink feels like a chewed piece of bubble gum.

Pink looks like a pink rose.

Pink sounds like wind chimes.

Pink is the color of pink nail polish.

— Anissa

Blue

Blue tastes like blueberries fresh from the field.

Blue smells like blueberry lollipops.

Blue feels like calm water.

Blue looks like a blue rose.

Blue sounds like waves rushing to shore.

Blue is the color of sweetness.

— Kendall

Red

Red looks like a cherry.

Red smells like a slice of pepperoni.

Red feels like anger.

Red looks like a shiny sunset.

Red sounds like cardinals singing.

Red looks like a fresh apple from a tree.

— Jaedon

Wind

Whistles in the air

It helps us live

Nails and other things fly into the air

Dies when it hits something

— Jaedon

Submitted by kindergarteners; no last names given

Pencils

They can write.

They can poke.

They can erase.

— Galen

At the Zoo

Meow,

Ribbit,

Roar,

Oo ah ah,

Hiss

Go the animals at the zoo.

— Jordan

Teeth Love to Come Out

Teeth love to come out

You have to have

Grown up teeth

But grown up teeth

Won’t come out!

— Thomas

Tires

Tires can roll

Tires can bounce

Tires can move a car

Tires can be black

— Jacob

Boys

Do they like to sing?

Do boys like to dance?

Do boys clean?

Do boys like to stare?

— Kaylee

My Dog

My dog can run.

My dog can scratch.

My dog can dig.

My dog can beg.

— Shelby

Who?

Who? My family

What? To be together

When? Forever

Where? At my house

Why? We love each other

— Keltsey

Bees

Buzz

Eats Honey

Easy to fly

Sucks nectar

— Chloe

At the Park

We climb

Clomp, clomp, clomp

We run

Stomp, stomp, stomp

We slide

Squeak

— Madison

Submitted by second-graders; no last names given

The Red Wheelbarrow

The red wheelbarrow

Rusty and old

filled with hay

Crick Crack

Down the

dusty

old

path.

— Hailey

Under the Sea

Under the sea

I see fish swimming

swirling around coral reefs

I see whales

wishing they could talk

I see seaweed

standing up straight

in squiggly lines

I see dolphins diving

in and out of the ocean

I see seahorses struggling

to hold on so they don’t get

washed up in the tide

That’s what is under the sea!

— Berkeley

The Stormy Night

Lightning, Lightning

Everywhere

boom

boom

boom

all I hear!

Flicker, Flatter

Splish, Splash

Wind rumble

with a crash

Boom

boom

lights go out

then everyone starts to shout

Click on flashlight

then it goes out

It makes me want to shout.

All that thunder

and all that lightning

just drives me crazy!

— Cole

60 seconds

60 seconds

is one

tiny minute

but 60 minutes

is one

big hour

but 24 hours

is one

happy

day!

— Will

The Sea

Silent waves crashing

against the sandy beach

the seashells ride the crashing waves

all the way to the shore

I see sail boat sails

across the deep blue sea

I walk across the pier

it’s a place I hold dear.

— Cole

A Rainy Day

Sitting here

Watching the

rain

fall

listening to the

rain

fall

gently going

pitter patter

pitter patter

listening to the soft

whistle of wind

the rain passes over

the pitter patter

goes away!

— Rachel

Chasing Homework

I had to do my homework

but it fell on the floor.

Then the wind blew it

out the door

I tried to catch it

but it went into a game box

called match it

so I reached for my work

it was really bad.

A creature grabbed it

— a snake dad.

My cheeks turned red

with madness and surprise

that dad snake’s eyes

were not wise

I ran wildly until I finally

got the snake

then I got my homework

and punched the snake

with my rake.

But a red-eyed dragon

ate my work

I think that monster

was a lurk!

So those are my excuses

for my missing homework.

Don’t forget that dragon is a lurk!

— Peyton

Under the Sea

Under the sea

I see fish swimming

swirling around coral reefs

I see whales

wishing they could talk

I see seaweed

standing up straight

in squiggly lines

I see dolphins diving

in and out of the ocean

I see seahorses struggling

to hold on so they don’t get

washed up in the tide

That’s what is under the sea!

— Berkely

Submitted by first-graders; no last names given

A Lion

A lion streaking

Through the grass

Purring like a

Kitten looking for

A mouse.

— Noah

Spring!

Spring is like a bird soaring

Through the sky as peacefully

As a pumpkin!

Beautiful caterpillars are

Turning into a butterfly!

Flowers grow as slow as a

Three-toed sloth!

— Bianca

ETC.

Beach House

Most people like going to a beach house. As for me, it's my favorite place. I go swimming, fishing, and crabbing with my family.

Looking out the window, I see the ocean's water shinning in the sunlight. The dolphin's nose is as curved as a baseball bats end. A crabs shell looks so wet, that if you touch it your hand would slide off. The shell looks like the red paint of a fire truck.

I hear the sounds of the soft, gentle ocean waves. They made me feel relaxed. The laughter at night when my family played charades made me feel safe and secure.

I smell cooking crabs on smoldering days. I smell the fragrance of pancakes and eggs. Mmmmm. When I think of my beach house I remember fresh cut grass. The grass was like cushions when I ran through it barefooted.

There are different and great worlds both inside and out. I have the fondest memories there. I love

— Ryan Jordan of Lexington, written in 2007 when he attended Red Bank Elementary; he’s now at Carolina Springs Middle